The present invention relates to a semiconductor integrated circuit device including a plurality of circuits and a control method for the same. In particular, the present invention relates to measures for swift control of the device when a limitation is imposed.
In recent years, a concept of system LSI constructed of a plurality of LSI circuits formed on a common substrate has been raised, and various design techniques for system LSI have been suggested. An advantage of the system LSI is that memories such as DRAMs, logic LSI circuits, and analog circuits such as high-frequency circuits can be incorporated in one semiconductor device, to attain semiconductor devices of various types and functions in exceedingly high integration.
In design of the conventional system LSI described above, design properties called cores (or intellectual properties (IPs)) are often used. Such cores are independently designed. Therefore, when the cores are united into a device, smooth operation may not necessarily be secured. In order to design a system that can secure smooth operation, however, enormous amounts of time and effort are actually required since the respective cores or IPs are black boxes.
An object of the present invention is providing a semi-conductor integrated circuit device capable of securing swift operation and a control method therefor. This can be attained, in the case where a plurality of parameters defining operation of a core (or IP) have correlation with each other, by providing a means for controlling such a plurality of parameters in correlation with each other.
The semiconductor integrated circuit device of the present invention includes: a plurality of circuits; information storage means provided for each of the plurality of circuits for storing information on the circuit as a plurality of sets of combinations of a plurality of parameters correlating with each other regarding the operation of the circuit; and control means for controlling each of the circuits to select one set among the plurality of sets stored in the circuit.
With the above construction, a plurality of parameters can be controlled by only selecting one set. This permits swift control while related limitations and targets are taken into consideration.
When at least one parameter among the plurality of parameters is a limitation-imposed parameter for which a limitation range has been set, the control means may select one set among the plurality of sets so that the limitation-imposed parameter falls within the limitation range. This permits swift control within the limitation range.
When at least one parameter among the plurality of parameters is a limitation-imposed parameter for which a limitation range for the entire of the plurality of circuits has been set, the control means may select one set among the plurality of sets so that the limitation-imposed parameter falls within the limitation range. In this case, also, the effect described above is obtained.
The plurality of parameters on the function information may be a voltage and a processing time of the circuit, and when the voltage has a limitation, the control means may change the processing time so that the voltage falls within the limitation range. With this construction, proper management can be done on occasions when the remaining power of a battery is small and when reduction in power consumption is desired.
Preferably, the semiconductor integrated circuit device further includes analysis means for analyzing the states of the plurality of parameters, wherein the control means changes the processing time based on analysis results of the analysis means.
When at least one parameter among the plurality of parameters falls outside a limitation range during operation of the circuit using one set selected from the plurality of sets, the control means may change the set to a set other than the one set among the plurality of sets for at least one circuit among the plurality of circuits.
The control method for a semiconductor integrated circuit device of the present invention is a control method for a semiconductor integrated circuit device including a plurality of circuits, comprising the steps of: (a) storing information on each of the circuits as a plurality of sets of combinations of a plurality of parameters correlating with each other regarding the operation of the circuit; and (b) controlling operation of the circuit by selecting one set among the plurality of sets.
By the above method, a plurality of parameters can be controlled by only selecting one set. This permits swift control while related limitations and targets are taken into consideration.
In the step (b), one set among the plurality of sets may be selected so that at least one parameter among the plurality of parameters does not fall outside a limitation range. This permits swift control within the limitation range.
In the step (b), one set among the plurality of sets may be selected so that at least one parameter among the plurality of parameters does not fall outside a limitation range for the entire of the plurality of circuits. In this case, also, the effect described above is obtained.
In the step (a), a plurality of sets of combinations of a voltage and a processing time of the circuit may be stored as the plurality of parameters on the function information, and in the step (b), when the voltage has a limitation, the processing time may be changed so that the voltage falls within the limitation range. This permits swift control in consideration of the limitation range.
The control method may further include the step of analyzing the states of the plurality of parameters in each of the circuits after the step (a) and before the step (b). This permits swift control even during operation of the device.
In the step (b), when at least one parameter among the plurality of parameters falls outside a limitation range as a result of the step (c) during operation of the circuit using one set selected from the plurality of sets, the set may be changed to a set other than the one set among the plurality of sets for at least one circuit among the plurality of circuits.